True or False
I believe when we are teaching students about digital literacy it is important to teach our students what is true and what is fake when it comes to looking at news pages. Just because a website is put on by a news company doesn’t mean it is true or that some of the information is altered. I think it is important to teach our students why people fall for fake news and why they believe things are true. If we believe everything we read on the internet we will be the people sharing false news and others will not know when to believe us.
This article by Thompson Rivers University Libraries talks about why we fall for fake news, our biases. This website is a great starting point for teaching about true and false news as this article has links to other sites that have quizzes, fact checking websites and TEDTalks that give you a starting point at finding out lots of information on this topic. I think this website could be a good starting place for students to get an understanding of how to spot fake news and why it is important to know if information is true or false.
This lesson plan gives teachers an idea of how to approach fake news with their students. Giving websites that can be used as resources, terminology, and an activity for students to participate that gives them an introduction to spotting fake news. As a teacher I always love finding lesson plans that are created on a topic even just to take some ideas from and also to see how others are teaching the topic and get some suggestions from them. This lesson plan I believe is a good starting point but may need to be altered or added to so that you catch all students’ attention and have students that are confident in spotting fake news or websites.
I believe that this topic of fake news is not a topic that is a one and done topic. This should be an ongoing discussion in the classroom even informally in conversations. When students are doing research for projects they should be reminded to use they skill they have been taught to make sure a website is giving them true information. I think it is important to give students resources to check websites out like SweetSearch – A Search Engine for Students or Home | Ad Fontes Media. It is important to set your students up for success and to have the knowledge to find true and false information and know what websites to trust.
Hi Karlee,
I, too, believe that it is important to teach our students how to think critically when they look at information shared online. I love the online quiz resource you shared. I could definitely see myself using things like this to teach in a middle-school classroom in the future. I had never heard of Sweet Search before your post, and I think it’s brilliant!! I love the idea of having a search engine that ONLY provides students with high-quality resources approved by educators.
Hi Karlee,
You’ve touched on a critical aspect of digital literacy in today’s world—teaching students to discern between true and false information online. Your emphasis on educating students about the nature of fake news and the reasons behind its prevalence is incredibly important. Understanding our biases and why we fall for fake news is the first step in fostering a more informed and discerning generation.
I agree that addressing fake news should not be a one-time lesson but an ongoing conversation. Continuously integrating discussions about credible sources and fact-checking into various classroom activities will reinforce these critical skills.
Thank you for highlighting such a crucial topic and for sharing valuable resources and strategies.